Internal-combustion engine.



H. L. REESE & H. H. PLATT. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. AIYPLIOA'IEION FILED MAY 25, 1912.

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HLL. REBSE & H. H. PLATT. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1912.

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x I A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY L. REESE, OF PHILADELPHIA, AND HAVIlILAND I-I. PLAT'I, OF WALLTNGFO-RD,

PENNSYLVANIA.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Combustion Engines, of which the following is a. specification.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel form of internal combustion engine in which the valves are operated directly from the main shaft without the use of re .ducing gear; it being further desired that the engine shall have two or more cylinders of which the piston of one at least is employed for drawing in and compressing the fuel, while the piston of a second cylinder is employed for receiving power resulting from the combustion of the. fuel and for ex hausting the products of-the combustion.

Another object of the invention is to provide an engine having the above noted characteristics with a novel form and arrangement of cylinders and valves as hereinafter set forth.

The above noted objects we attain as here inafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a' vertical longitudinal section of one form of an internal combustion en? gine constructed according to our invention, wherein our novel method of operation may be carried out, and Fig. 2, is a transverse vertical section on the line a-a, Fig. 1.

In the above drawings, 1 represents the cylinder casting of the engine, which in the case illustrated, is equipped with two cylinders 2 and 3 havingtheircavities adjacent each other and water jacketed in any suitable manner. upon a crank case structure consisting of an -upper part 4: and a lower part 5, providing bearings for a crank shaft 6. The cylinder 2 is provided with a removable head/7 and has slidably mounted within it a sleeve forming a cylindrical valve 8, within which is a piston 9 attached by a connecting rod 10 to one of the cranks 11 on the shaft 6. The cylinder 3 likewise has a removable head 12, an internal valve sleeve 13, and a piston 1a attached through a connecting rod 15 to a second crank 16 of the shaft .6. In

the case illustrated, the two, cranks 11 and 16 are at an angle of 45 to each other, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Said casting l is mounted Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

Application filed May 25, 1912 Serial No. 699,644.

/ the valve sleeve 8 is connected through a rod 17 to an eccentric 18 on said shaft so as to reciprocate in the cylinder 2. Similarly the second valve '13 is connected through a rod 19 with an eccentric 20 on the shaft 6 so that it also is recip'rocated thereby within the cylinder 3. This latter is provided with an exhaust port 21, while the cylinder 2 has an inlet port 22, and there is also atransfer port 23 in the cylinder casting between said two cylinders 2 and 3. The valve 8 has a port 2st capable of being brought into register with the inlet port 22 and has also a second port 25 capable of registering with the transfer port 23, while the valve 13 has a port 26 also capable of registering with the transfer port, and a port 27 capable of registering with the exhaust p'oi t 2l. .The cylinder 3 has mounted in its head or at any other suitable point, ahspark plug 28 or some other suitable device for igniting fuel chargestherein. 1

"With the above described arrangement of parts, and assuming that the piston 9 is at the upper extremity of its stroke, the valve 8 is so set that its port 25 is closed, although as said piston recedes from its head, its inlet port 24 registers withthe port 22 and a charge of fuel is drawn in from a carbureter or other suitable source of supply. As the piston starts on its return stroke the valve 8 so moves as to close the port24, and when the fuel charge. has been compressed to about one-sixth, or any other desired fraction of its ,original volume, the 'port. 25 is opened. At this time the piston 14 is at the upper end of its stroke and since the valve 13 is so set that its port 26 is then opened, the compressed fuel charge will pass from the cylinder 2 to the cylinder 3 as the piston 9 continues to approach its head 7 and the piston 14 recedes from its head 12.

This transfer of fuel is made from one cyl inder to the other without resulting in sub' haust port 27 being closed at this time.

It is, of course, obvious that the time of ignition may be advanced or retarded in the oils o tomary manner, but under working conditions we preferably adjust the parts to operate as above indicated. and expansion of in the cylinder 3 then forces outwardly the piston 14 and the exhaust valve port opens when said piston is practically at the end of its outward stroke. 'lhercafter the inward movement of this piston causes the products of combustion to be expelled through the ports 27 and 21, and said ports finally close when the piston again reaches the extreme inner end of its stroke.

Just as said piston is again starts out the transfer ports of the two valves 8' and 13 are in such a position that a second charge of gas, compressed in the cylinder 2 as previously-described, is forced into the cylinder 3, where it is thereafter ignited and caused to exert pressure on the piston 14 as pre viously explained.

By the above described arrangement of parts, it will be scen'that the successive charges are always drawn in and compressed in the cylinder 2, and thereafter ignited, burnt and exhausted in the cylinder 3, in such manner that there is practically no contamination or dilution of the various charges by products of combustion still remaining in the engine from a previous explosion. Moreover, the engine as a whole operates with certainty and the various operations occur at the predetermined times calculated to secure the best efficiency of operation.

It will be noted that an engine constructed as above described is relatively simple, since the valves are operated without requiring reducing or other gearing, and the arrange ment is such that the likelihood of disarrangement or excessive wear of the parts is reduced to the minimum.

It is, of course, obvious that under operating conditions there is a very material alteration in the volume and pressure of the fuel during the time in which it is actually being transferred from one cylinder to the other. \Ve preferably so arrange and adjust the parts however, that just before the ignition of each charge, its volume and pressure are substantially the same as when at the beginning of its transfer from the other cylinder.

While by far the greater part of the products of combustion are expelled from the cylinder 3 on the inward stroke of the piston 14, there is necessarily some slight clearance in said cylinder which prevents an absolutely complete removalof the burnt gases.

It is also obvious that at times in the op- This combustion eration of the engine illustrated, the closure of the ports depends to some extent on one or both of the pistons as well as on the valves, whose ports at times register with ports in the cylinder walls when properly there should be no opening. At such times the closure is performed by the piston.

1. The combination in an internal combusticn engine, of a plurality of cylinders having a transfer port between them; there being an inlet port for one cylinder and an exhaust port for the other; cylindrical sleeves respectively operative in the cylinders and each having ports of which one is capable of registering with the port between the cylinders and the other is capable of registering "with the second port of its cylinder; a crank shaft; a piston in each cylinder connected to said shaft; and eccentrics on the crank shaft respectively connected to the two sleeves.

2. The combination in an internal combustion engine, of a supporting structure; a crank shaft having two cranks; two cylinders adjacent each other; a'piston in each cylinder connected to the crank shaft; means in one/of the cylinders for igniting successive charges; there being a transfer port d1- rectly connecting the cylinders belowtheir upper ends, an inlet port for one cylinder, and an exhaust port for the other; two cylindrical valves resectively incasing the pis-.

tons of the two cylinders and provided with ports cooperating with said other ports; eccentrics on the shaft; and a rod connectmg each eccentric directly to one of the cylindrical valves. 4

3. The combination in an internal combustion engine, of a plurality of cylinders having transfer port between them; cylindrical sleeves respectively operative in the cylinders and each having a port capable of registering with the port between the cylinders; a crank shaft; and a piston in each cylinder connected to said shaft.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM E. BRADLEY, WM. A. BARR. 

